Dock structures, particularly floating or standing docks for pleasure craft, conventionally are formed of wood and include a plurality of transversely-extending slats joined to depending parallel side rails and possibly one or more intermediate rails, depending on the width of the dock. The depending side rails are joined to one or more floats, in the case of a floating dock, or to pillars or uprights anchored on the river or lake bed in the case of a standing dock. End rails extending between the side rails also may be provided.
Wooden structures suffer from many disadvantages. In regions where the water body in which the dock is located freezes during the winter months, the dock must be removed from the water to prevent ice damage. Wooden structures are heavy, especially when waterlogged, making removal from the water a difficult operation, especially since the structure must be removed as a single unit.
Wooden structures also degrade rapidly under the exposure to weather and traffic and require replacement from time to time. Broken slats are difficult to replace effectively and to dispose of.